Nintendo 64 Classic may be on its way, trademark reveals

When Nintendo first announced it was making miniature versions of its classic game consoles, the internet lost it. The original NES Classic was a hit before it even launched. A year later, the company created the Super Nintendo Classic edition, and started a trend. Today, these throwback consoles are more than just nostalgic toys -- they're the primary way Nintendo expects its customers to play its classic game library.

So what's next for the company's Classic Edition line up?

The Nintendo 64. Probably. A few days ago, JapaneseNintendo spotted a trademark application that covers both the controllers and software for the 1996 game console. Actually, it's technically the second 64-bit console trademark the company's filed recently -- last summer, Nintendo filed a graphical trademark for an icon depicting the N64's iconic three-pronged controller in the same style as the NES Classic logo.

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That's exciting, but it's not a guarantee that a Nintendo 64 Classic is on the way. Companies like Nintendo routinely register trademarks for prospective and older products to protect their intellectual property.

On top of that, an N64 Classic could be one of the hardest throwback consoles for Nintendo to produce: Many of the game's most iconic titles -- GoldenEye, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark -- were developed by Rare, a studio now owned by Microsoft, one of Nintendo's biggest competitors.